Everyone knows that True Blood’sKristin Bauer van Straten (who played the vampire Pamela Swynford De Beaufort in the HBO series) is an absolute softy when it comes to animals. So this Christmas, she suggest some cruelty-free gift selections for all the Truebies out there. (This list is courtesy of ecorazzi.com):

To help all consumers buy cruelty-free this holiday season, here are a few of Bauer van Straten’s favorite things:

I can certainly vouch for the LUSH products (they are simply divine), but let us know if you have used any of these products before or if you will be purchasing them for Christmas gifts this year by commenting below!

True Detective Season 2 Gets Another True Blood Alum:

Recently we announced that True Blood actor, James Frain (who played the deliciously unhinged Franklin Mott in Season 3 of HBO’s vampire series), will join the cast of HBO’s True Detective for their upcoming second season. Now it seems another True Blood cast member will join him. Deadline had the following information on this exciting news:

Following his major recurring role on the final season of HBO’s True Blood, I hear Riley Smith is returning to the pay cable network with a recurring role on True Detective. The second installment in the crime franchise revolves around three police officers, played by Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch and Rachel McAdams, and a career criminal (Vince Vaughn) who must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder. Smith will play McAdams’ boyfriend, Steve Mercier, a boyish Sheriff’s deputy.

Truebies will remember Riley Smith as newcomer Keith, the vampire that ended up stealing Arlene Fowler’s (Carrie Preston) heart in Season 7 of True Blood.

Will you be tuning in to watch True Detective now that it has a True Blood line up or were you already a fan of the show? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

What if Tom Hanks Was a 13 Year Old GIRL Trapped in a Grown Up Body:

The classic family movie, Big, stars Tom Hanks and tells the story of a 13 year old boy who wishes to be a grown up – and manages to get that wish granted! In among all the trials and tribulations that arise with a kid trapped inside an adults body, there is also the suggestion of romance. This is really cute, until you consider the implications. Which is what Funny or Die did recently. Not only did they explore the darker side of a 13 year old getting romantically involved with a grown up, they also took it to a whole other level when they invited Evan Rachel Wood (who played the vampire queen Sophie Anne Leclerq in HBO’s True Blood) to bring a female aspect to the lead role.

This video is completely NSFW, so make sure you are discrete when viewing it since it contains a vast amount of F-bombs.

The video also stars Darren Criss (who stars as the Kurt’s love interest, Blaine, in Fox’s TV series Glee) as Evan’s love interest. Clicking on the image below will open up the Funny or Die video clip in a new window for your viewing enjoyment.

Let us know your thoughts on this hilarious video by commenting below!

Source: First Showing – Funny or Die Reimagines ‘Big’ with Evan Rachel Wood in the Lead

With Ryan Kwanten back home in Australia after the Season 7 finale of HBO’s True Blood, there has been a flurry of media interviews. His latest occurred on Channel Ten’s The Project, a news and current affairs show featuring Rove McManus alongside other Australian media representatives. A relaxed Kwanten (who stared as the bumbling yet hunky Jason Stackhouse throughout all seven seasons of True Blood) chatted comfortably about many confronting issues bought up by The Project, including:

Whether kissing scenes involve a discussion beforehand on the use of tongue – or groping – during the scene

What it’s like to walk into your trailer while on set and see your costume entails nothing but a modesty sock (used during nude scenes)

Whether there is the possibility of a Jason Stackhouse spin off series in the making

You can check out the video below to find out all the answers (clicking on the image will take you directly to The Project homepage to view the video interview). There’s a bit of a long intro (around thirty seconds worth) with this video clip, but definitely worth the wait for Ryan’s hilarious interview:

From Aussie Soaps to HBO Entertainment:

Australian actor, Ryan Kwanten is very humble when it comes to discussing just how lucky he is to score the long time role of Jason Stackhouse in HBO’s True Blood. His acting break may have come in Australia with the soap opera, Home And Away, but when it came to signing on for the unknown American vampire series, True Blood, he was not sure how the US would react:

We worked in this weird cloud … We shot the show in complete seasons before it premiered so we were not aware at first if the audience would attach themselves to it … We came out of the gate slowly, but as people started to understand the world and the characters I think we picked up speed. Each season that would pass I’d notice more and more people looking at me on the street and stopping me.

It was a chance offering that paid off for Ryan. However, he attributes HBO’s success with their long standing dedication to working from the top job down and making sure every single person was right for the role, be it the showrunner or the cast extras. it also helps that the US are more dedicated to their television shows than in Australia.

Seven years may seem like a long time in the one role for an actor but Kwanten insists it wasn’t really hard work at all:

Jason had his own storyline as part of about four or five others, so I was never working every single day of every week. When I did films in hiatus I’d work harder, True Blood was really my cruising time because it was such an ensemble cast.

Even though the cast was close during filming, it seems they have all taken flight in different directions since True Blood wrapped up. Ryan likened it to high school graduation and the assurance that they will all probably still meet up again further on down the track.

While Truebies are now consoling themselves with the fact they will have to indulge in reruns and DVDs to get their True Blood fix – that there will be no ‘meeting up down the track’ – for Ryan, he is holding off to watch the TV series again:

There’s definitely going to be a time when I sit down and watch it all at once, back to back … Not right now, because it’s all still a little close to the chest, but at some point down the line I wouldn’t mind checking it out and looking at the boy I was back then.

What do you think, was Jason Stackhouse just a boy while on True Blood? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

From True Blood Vampires to Dystopia:

Fans of Evan Rachel Wood’s interpretation of the vampire queen of Louisiana, Sophie Anne Leclerq, in True Blood are in for a treat with recent announcement of her return to HBO. It has been confirmed that Wood has signed on for Westworld, an adaptation of Michael Crichton’s 1973 dystopian theme park film. A pilot episode has been commissioned for release in 2015 and also stars Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs). This is the first time Hopkins will appear as a regular character in a television series. The Telegraph released these details on his character:

Hopkins will play Dr Robert Ford, the inspired but aloof director of Westworld, an amusement park of the future where life-like cyborgs provide guests with ultra-realistic simulations of past ages. The park is transformed into a zone of terror when its central computer malfunctions, and forces two visitors into a cat-and-mouse chase with a gun-slinging android cowboy.

In the original movie, Yul Brynner fulfilled the role of the gun-slinging android cowboy.

HBO released the following images and video via Twitter to coincide with their announcement:

Casting Call Requires Local Actors Over the Age of 18:

True Blood’s Nelsan Ellis’s latest movie is called Bolden and is director Dan Pritzker’s biopic on the jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden. Recently the following casting call was released, so if you are a local to New Orleans and are over the age of 18, why not check it out?

The production is looking for hundreds of locals aged 18 and older who are interested in appearing in the film as paid extras. To that end, a casting call has been scheduled for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 21 in the Orleans Ballroom of the JW Marriott New Orleans hotel, 641 Canal St.

No experience is necessary, but because it is a period piece, prospective extras are being asked to dress in their best version of early-20th-century attire. (“Dress like ‘Great Gatsby,’ ” a casting spokesman advised.)

Specifically being sought, according to a casting notice: “Men and women with natural hairstyles and colors, mustaches and beards”; “energetic men and women who can move well to jazz and sway with the music”; and “Depression-era, hard-working types and very dapper men and women.”

Applicants should know their wardrobe measurements, including hat, neck, waist, shoe, jacket, dress, bust and bra sizes. Experienced stand-ins should also bring their resume and headshot. Photos will be taken of everyone on-site.

Those chosen to appear in the film will be paid a minimum of $112 per day and will also receive free breakfast and lunch for each full day they work.

Luke Grimes Plays Christian Grey’s Brother, Elliot Grey:

Here’s the new trailer for the much anticipated BDSM movie, Fifty Shades of Grey. The story is based on the novel of the same name by author E.L. James, who originally wrote it as fan fiction based on the Twilight series of vampire novels by Stephenie Meyers.

The extended sneak peek into this movie explores the relationship between control freak, Christian Grey (portrayed by actor Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia Steele (played by Dakota Johnson). Luke Grimes (who truebies will remember played the vampire James for one season of HBO’s True Blood) plays the role of Christian’s brother, Elliot Grey. While the following movie trailer revolves mostly around the dynamics of Anastasia’s and Christian’s relationship, if you persevere, you will be granted a short snippet of Luke Grimes!

Will you be checking out out Fifty Shades of Grey movie when it is released on Valentine’s Day 2015 just because Luke Grimes is in it? Or were you a fan of the books already? Let us know by commenting below!

True Blood Alum Gains Recognition For His Contribution to the Field of Recovery:

Joe Manganiello was recognized for his lasting work in relation to the field of recovery on the long road that is addiction. The 17th Annual Friends of CLARE Tribute Dinner honored Joe (who can also add the credits of writer, producer and director to his title) with the Friends of CLARE Tribute Award on Thursday the 13th of November 2014 at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.

Alongside Joe, screenwriter Craig Borten received the first-ever Client of the Year Award for his inspirational support to CLARE and its clients. Talent agent Steven Glick also received the Spirit of CLARE Award thanks to his long-time service as a CLARE board member.

Before Joe was a fitness guru and the werewolf Alcide Herveaux in HBO’s True Blood, he was an alcoholic. Thanks to the CLARE Foundation, he has managed to turn his life around completely and now aims to help others through CLARE. Joe had the following to say during his speech at the tribute dinner:

They teach people how to live past their stay there. I know firsthand how frustrating it is for the friends and family of addicts and alcoholics to want to help their loved ones but not know how. Well, they can sleep easily at night knowing that their donations to Clare are making a world of difference saving lives.

Thanks to the success of the 17th Annual Friends of CLARE Tribute Dinner, $500,000 was raised towards the foundation.

If you think you need help with alcoholism, or need advice about someone close to you who is suffering from this addiction, you can find out more about the CLARE Foundation by clicking here.

Season 2 of True Detective Casts a True Blood Favorite:

Fans of the unhinged Franklin Mott from Season 3 of HBO’s True Blood are in for a treat with Season 2 of HBO’s True Detective. It has recently been reported that actor James Frain will join the cast in a recurring role. Frain will be playing the role of ruthless police lieutenant, Jeff Hunt.

According to Deadline, the synopsis for Season 2 is as follows:

The second installment in the crime franchise revolves around three police officers, played by Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch and Rachel McAdams, and a career criminal (Vince Vaughn) who must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder.

In addition to James Frian’s casting announcement, actress Lolita Davidovich will also join the cast as Kitsch’s mother and washed out former showgirl, Nancy Simpson.

And according to E! Online, the following cast have also been confirmed:

True Detective’s second season will also feature Black Box alum Kelly Reilly in a series regular role, as well as Almost Human’sMichael Irby, Suits star Abigail Spencer and The Tomorrow People’sLeven Rambin in recurring roles.

It has been announced that Justin Lin will direct the first two episodes of this new season with creator Nic Pizzolatto writing the script. Production on Season 2 of True Detective will begin in California this fall.

Will you be tuning in just to watch True Blood’s bad boy, James Frain, in True Detective? Or are you already a fan of this new series? Let us know by commenting below!